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A month after lifting the glitterball trophy, Hamza Yassin still can’t believe that he won Strictly Come Dancing, after sharing his battles with confidence through the competition.
The 32-year-old wildlife cameraman and presenter beat Fleur East and Vito Coppola, Molly Rainford and Carlos Gu, and Helen Skelton and Gorka Marquez to the coveted prize in emotional scenes, along with his professional dancer Jowita Przystal.
Hamza had been reduced to tears after the judges’ comments over the weeks, and paid emotional tributes to his dance partner, calling the pro an ‘angel’.
And now, as they prepare for the live tour, Hamza has revealed that he is still in shock over the win.
Speaking on The One Show, he said: ‘I say this all the time with Jowita, I thought I was going out in week two, which is the first time that someone can go out.
‘Every week, we have this thing where I hold her thumb, and I say to her, I lean in, “Thank you very much, it’s been a great journey, I’m ready for the dance off and here we go”.’
Hamza and Jowita won Strictly Come Dancing 2022 (Picture: BBC/Guy Levy)
‘And me?’ Jowita chimed in, saying that she used to tell him: ‘It’s not over yet, have some faith.’
‘It’s a really weird process,’ Hamza continued.
‘I just didn’t think I could dance, and you were fantastic at just bringing everything out, knowing my weaknesses and my strength and it was like, okay let’s play to these.
‘I still can’t fathom that we won it – it sounds really weird.’
The pair soared through the final despite his battles with confidence (Picture: BBC/PA)
Jowita added: ‘I still can’t believe it to be honest, but this isn’t about me. It was all about Hamza, and meeting him for the first time, I knew straight away and I felt it in my bones that he is going to be great. And I already pictured what we could do on the show.’
‘From the first moment, I knew that he would trust me, I felt that he would give it to me, so for me, I was just so driven by him, and by his person, by his love for wildlife, and everything that he brings to the table. He was my drive.’
After their incredible win, Hamza took to Instagram to reflect on his triumph, describing Jowita as an ‘angel disguised as a human being’ and a ‘ray of sunshine’.
‘Thank you for your trust and guidance throughout this incredible journey,’ he penned. ‘You shone a light for me that got me through some tough weeks and you have been by my side every step of the way.
Hamza paid tribute to his ‘angel’ pro dancer after their win (Picture: BBC/Guy Levy)
‘You will go on to do great things in your life. It was my pleasure to be your student. I will forever be grateful for how you have changed my life.’
Hamza also went on to thank the Strictly team for giving him the opportunity of a lifetime, before moving on to acknowledge the judges, Shirley Ballas, Motsi Mabuse, Anton Du Beke and Craig Revel Horwood.
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He continued his post by paying tribute to the British public. ‘To everyone who voted for us throughout the last 13 weeks, we could not have done it without you.
‘Your support means the world to us. You are simply the best.’
The One Show airs weekdays from 7pm on BBC One.
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Hamza lifted the glitter-ball trophy with Jowita Przystal.
